Perfect homemade pizza recipe for beginners. It will not fail, we promise.
Ever wondered how pizza is made? If you are like me then you might have even tried to make a pizza and failed. It is okay, now.
This recipe has been borrowed and tweaked for our local ovens from Buzzfeed. You may need to adjust it according to your flavors and mood. Customize the toppings, not the dough.
You can divide the dough quantity by 4 if you just want to test or if it is your first time making pizza dough. The recipe is great for a wood fire, regular conventional stove ovens, and electric ovens alike. This dough quantity according to ingredients listed below will make about 4 regular sized pizzas that more than serve 1 person.
Homemade pizza recipe for Beginners:
Start by collecting the things you need. These are listed below.
INGREDIENTS
For dough:
2½ cups (600 milliliters) warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons active dried yeast
7 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1½ tablespoons kosher salt
¼ cup semolina flour
Tomato Sauce:
4-5 whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon salt
Herbs and maybe 3 tablespoons ketchup
For Toppings:
Mozzarella cheese
Spicy pepperoni slices
Parmesan cheese
Herbs
Olives
Capsicum
Onions
Mushrooms
Directions for the perfect homemade pizza recipe for beginners:
Start by the dough. First, you will need to “Bloom” the yeast by sprinkling the sugar and yeast in the warm water. Then let it sit for 10 minutes until bubbles form on the surface.
The water you are mixing it in should be between 105°F and 110°F. It has to be warm enough to activate the yeast. The yeast will dissolve quickly in warmer water. However, it should not be too hot, or it might kill the yeast. Basically this water, shouldn’t feel hot or cold to the touch but should be at body temperature.
A few minutes after you dissolve it in the water, it should start foaming. If you don’t see any reaction, it could mean your yeast was too old, or that the water wasn’t the right temperature. You will need to start again with some fresh yeast if there is no reaction.
Then you add all the dry ingredients into this mixture. This will form a dough. Next up, you need to knead it. The right way is to make sure you spend enough time on this is to set a 10-minute timer on your phone and knead the dough until the alarm goes off.
Is your dough springy? Great. Now you need to cover it in a tablespoon or more of olive oil. Wrap this container or dough bowl in cling film or a cotton cloth and leave it. Let it rise overnight in the kitchen counter. Although 1-2 hours are fine too. But, overnight will give you delicious results you can not forget.
Knead for 1 minute in the morning and release bubbles. Chop in 4 parts. 1 is for each pizza. Shape in a ball. Cover and let it rise for 1 hour.
Sauce and Toppings:
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce: Add the salt to the can of tomatoes and use a blender too blend, or transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Then you can boil this blended tomato puree until it thickens a lot. It should look pasty. Maybe 6-8 minutes on medium heat will be enough. You can add chili flakes and herbs now.
Baking Technique
Once the dough has rested, take one portion and start by poking the dough with your fingertips. Then, stretch and press the dough into a thin crust. Make it thinner than you think it should be, as it will slightly shrink and puff up during baking!
The oven should be as hot as possible. Preheat your pan or oven board too. Stretch your dough. Pull lightly and make a Gol Roti out of it, depending on how thin you want it. Sprinkle flour on a baking sheet or pan. Place it there. Add toppings. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Cheese should bubble, the crust should be slightly red or brown.